The present invention is directed to a catch adapted to be positioned between a door, covering an opening, and a doorframe, at the edge of the opening. The catch is designed for the same purpose as a conventional safety chain for a door. A catch part cooperates with a guide on a latch, and the catch part and latch are rotatably attached to the doorframe and the door, respectively. The catch part is provided with at least a part, cooperating with the guide, which part forms a catch part, preventing the removing of the catch part except at a recess in the inner end of the guide.
If a door is provided with a catch according to the present invention, the door can be opened from the outside, when the catch is in the inserted, operative, position. A person, who has the key, only needs to open the door a first time and push up the catch part of the catch so that the catch part comes out of engagement with the guide of the latch at the subsequent closing of the door.
The above-described maneuver is important to make it possible for the catch part to disengage from the guide. After that the door is opened a second time through which the catch is disengaged and the door can be opened totally.
Prior art catches have the disadvantage that they are not automatically forced into the catched position, when the door is closed from the outside.
This disadvantage is eliminated by the door catch according to the present invention. The catch part and the latch are rotatably mounted on horizontal axes, the latch is free to move up and down and is turnably attached on the door with its spindle arranged at such a level above the spindle of the catch part and at a right-angled distance between the mounting plate of the catch part. Further, the plane of rotation of the latch cooperates with the guide of the catch part, to automatically come into the notch, when the door is closed, and cooperates with the guide to automatically force the catch to a locked position, when the door is closed either from the inside or from the outside.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.